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Boosting Performance with the Latest Generations of Virtual Machines in Azure
Microsoft Azure recently announced the availability of the new generation of VMs (v6)—including the Dl/Dv6 (general purpose) and El/Ev6 (memory-optimized) series. These VMs are powered by the latest Intel Xeon processors and are engineered to deliver: Up to 30% higher per-core performance compared to previous generations. Greater scalability, with options of up to 128 vCPUs (Dv6) and 192 vCPUs (Ev6). Significant enhancements in CPU cache (up to 5× larger), memory bandwidth, and NVMe-enabled storage. Improved security with features like Intel® Total Memory Encryption (TME) and enhanced networking via the new Microsoft Azure Network Adaptor (MANA). By Microsoft By Microsoft Evaluated Virtual Machines and Geekbench Results The table below summarizes the configuration and Geekbench results for the two VMs we tested. VM1 represents a previous-generation machine with more vCPUs and memory, while VM2 is from the new Dld e6 series, showing superior performance despite having fewer vCPUs. VM1 features VM1 - D16S V5 (16 Vcpus - 64GB RAM) VM1 - D16S V5 (16 Vcpus - 64GB RAM) VM2 features VM2 - D16ls v6 (16 Vcpus - 32GB RAM) VM2 - D16ls v6 (16 Vcpus - 32GB RAM) Key Observations: Single-Core Performance: VM2 scores 2013 compared to VM1’s 1570, a 28.2% improvement. This demonstrates that even with half the vCPUs, the new Dld e6 series provides significantly better performance per core. Multi-Core Performance: Despite having fewer cores, VM2 achieves a multi-core score of 12,566 versus 9,454 for VM1, showing a 32.9% increase in performance. VM 1 VM 2 Enhanced Throughput in Specific Workloads: File Compression: 1909 MB/s (VM2) vs. 1654 MB/s (VM1) – a 15.4% improvement. Object Detection: 2851 images/s (VM2) vs. 1592 images/s (VM1) – a remarkable 79.2% improvement. Ray Tracing: 1798 Kpixels/s (VM2) vs. 1512 Kpixels/s (VM1) – an 18.9% boost. These results reflect the significant advancements enabled by the new generation of Intel processors. Score VM 1 VM 1 VM 1 Score VM 2 VM 2 VM 2 Evolution of Hardware in Azure: From Ice Lake-SP to Emerald Rapids Technical Specifications of the Processors Evaluated Understanding the dramatic performance improvements begins with a look at the processor specifications: Intel Xeon Platinum 8370C (Ice Lake-SP) Architecture: Ice Lake-SP Base Frequency: 2.79 GHz Max Frequency: 3.5 GHz L3 Cache: 48 MB Supported Instructions: AVX-512, VNNI, DL Boost VM 1 Intel Xeon Platinum 8573C (Emerald Rapids) Architecture: Emerald Rapids Base Frequency: 2.3 GHz Max Frequency: 4.2 GHz L3 Cache: 260 MB Supported Instructions: AVX-512, AMX, VNNI, DL Boost VM 2 Impact on Performance Cache Size Increase: The jump from 48 MB to 260 MB of L3 cache is a key factor. A larger cache reduces dependency on RAM accesses, thereby lowering latency and significantly boosting performance in memory-intensive workloads such as AI, big data, and scientific simulations. Enhanced Frequency Dynamics: While the base frequency of the Emerald Rapids processor is slightly lower, its higher maximum frequency (4.2 GHz vs. 3.5 GHz) means that under load, performance-critical tasks can benefit from this burst capability. Advanced Instruction Support: The introduction of AMX (Advanced Matrix Extensions) in Emerald Rapids, along with the robust AVX-512 support, optimizes the execution of complex mathematical and AI workloads. Efficiency Gains: These processors also offer improved energy efficiency, reducing the energy consumed per compute unit. This efficiency translates into lower operational costs and a more sustainable cloud environment. Beyond Our Tests: Overview of the New v6 Series While our tests focused on the Dld e6 series, Azure’s new v6 generation includes several families designed for different workloads: 1. Dlsv6 and Dldsv6-series Segment: General purpose with NVMe local storage (where applicable) vCPUs Range: 2 – 128 Memory: 4 – 256 GiB Local Disk: Up to 7,040 GiB (Dldsv6) Highlights: 5× increased CPU cache (up to 300 MB) and higher network bandwidth (up to 54 Gbps) 2. Dsv6 and Ddsv6-series Segment: General purpose vCPUs Range: 2 – 128 Memory: Up to 512 GiB Local Disk: Up to 7,040 GiB in Ddsv6 Highlights: Up to 30% improved performance over the previous Dv5 generation and Azure Boost for enhanced IOPS and network performance 3. Esv6 and Edsv6-series Segment: Memory-optimized vCPUs Range: 2 – 192* (with larger sizes available in Q2) Memory: Up to 1.8 TiB (1832 GiB) Local Disk: Up to 10,560 GiB in Edsv6 Highlights: Ideal for in-memory analytics, relational databases, and enterprise applications requiring vast amounts of RAM Note: Sizes with higher vCPUs and memory (e.g., E128/E192) will be generally available in Q2 of this year. Key Innovations in the v6 Generation Increased CPU Cache: Up to 5× more cache (from 60 MB to 300 MB) dramatically improves data access speeds. NVMe for Storage: Enhanced local and remote storage performance, with up to 3× more IOPS locally and the capability to reach 400k IOPS remotely via Azure Boost. Azure Boost: Delivers higher throughput (up to 12 GB/s remote disk throughput) and improved network bandwidth (up to 200 Gbps for larger sizes). Microsoft Azure Network Adaptor (MANA): Provides improved network stability and performance for both Windows and Linux environments. Intel® Total Memory Encryption (TME): Enhances data security by encrypting the system memory. Scalability: Options ranging from 128 vCPUs/512 GiB RAM in the Dv6 family to 192 vCPUs/1.8 TiB RAM in the Ev6 family. Performance Gains: Benchmarks and internal tests (such as SPEC CPU Integer) indicate improvements of 15%–30% across various workloads including web applications, databases, analytics, and generative AI tasks. My personal perspective and point of view The new Azure v6 VMs mark a significant advancement in cloud computing performance, scalability, and security. Our Geekbench tests clearly show that the Dld e6 series—powered by the latest Intel Xeon Platinum 8573C (Emerald Rapids)—delivers up to 30% better performance than previous-generation machines with more resources. Coupled with the hardware evolution from Ice Lake-SP to Emerald Rapids—which brings a dramatic increase in cache size, improved frequency dynamics, and advanced instruction support—the new v6 generation sets a new standard for high-performance workloads. Whether you’re running critical enterprise applications, data-intensive analytics, or next-generation AI models, the enhanced capabilities of these VMs offer significant benefits in performance, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. References and Further Reading: Microsoft’s official announcement: Azure Dld e6 VMs Internal tests performed with Geekbench 6.4.0 (AVX2) in the Germany West Central Azure region.Register now for the Migrate to Innovate Summit
Join the summit on March 11, presented in partnership with Intel. Stay agile, innovate for the future, and maintain a competitive edge by accelerating your cloud migration and modernization journey. Microsoft thought leaders will discuss the latest news and trends, showcase real-world case studies, and share how Azure can help you fully embrace AI. Join us to: Maximize business value and build the foundation for successful innovation by leveraging the latest Azure and Intel capabilities for your workloads. Dive into case studies and real-world examples showcasing how organizations have successfully transformed their business and how you can be next by migrating and modernizing on Azure. Make sure your cloud migration and modernization journey is using the best practices and strategies featured in product demonstrations. Register now > Migrate to Innovate Summit Tuesday, March 11, 2025 9:00 AM–11:30 AM Pacific Time (UTC-7)ARM template and how to test it partially
Hi all, If you have a long deployment template and performing that takes 10 - 15 minutes, what would be the best option for troubleshooting the process if that e.g fail at the end? At the moment I'm failing to the Access Denied (I believe so) when the deployment is trying to use ARM Function: Reference to get the Key Vault SecretURI. Of course there is lot of different parameters on it to get that information, but the error message is "AccesstoKeyVaultDenied (code:BadRequest)". So far I have not been able get knowledge where the access denied is coming nor what resource that is trying to get. It is possible to manually test those ARM functions somehow, like with PS command? Or is the only option to Enable ARM debugging, and hope the best? It is just a bit hard to wait over 10min to see if the actions has been helpful or (as too often now) not :D
Function App Service
Hi, I'm having trouble deploying my Python script to an Azure Function App. Can someone help me troubleshoot the deployment process and ensure the function works correctly? I have followed all the articles available on the internet, I am not able to figure out , where is actual issue?Azure VMs Not Applying GPOs Correctly
Hi everyone, Quick question… if my Azure VMs are joined to my domain, they should be applying all my configured GPOs, right? For some reason, my VMs are not applying the GPOs, even after running a GPUPDATE /force. At the moment, I am testing some simple GPOs like: Creating a folder on the desktop Setting the time format to Brazilian (dd/mm/yyyy) Adjusting the timezone to Brasília When I run gpresult /r, it shows that the GPOs are being applied, but for some reason, the VM just doesn’t reflect them. Any idea what might be causing this?AZureADSSOACC and AES
I have been auditing event IDs 4768 and 4769 and noticed a few accounts with 0x17. I believe that to be related to RC4. One of the accounts is an AzureADSSOacc account that was created before the year 2020. Will this account use AES if we upgrade the DC to 2025 or will we have to force it?Enabling Azure Automanage or creating a custom configuration profile currently results in an error.
At the moment, enabling Azure Automanage for a new Azure VM or Arc-enabled server results in the following error: An error occurred while assigning the configuration profile named 'Azure best practices: Dev / Test'. Error details: The operation was not allowed because the subscription is not in a state to support it. Subscription state: -1 Additionally, attempting to create a custom configuration profile results in the following error: An error occurred while creating the configuration profile named 'amcp-prd-arc-infra-01'. Error details: The operation was not allowed because the subscription is not in a state to support it. Subscription state: -1 Has anyone encountered this issue before and found a solution?Azure Firewall DNAT not working
I have a typical Hub/Spoke Architecture with Azure Firewall in the Hub, VNEt peerings between Hub/Spoke, route table on Spoke with default route to Firewall in Hub, no NSGs currently applied. I have created DNAT rule for web site running on Windows Server VM (IIS) in Spoke. All as per documented setup e.g. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/firewall/tutorial-firewall-dnat. But I cannot connect to the Web site! I have even tried a DNAT rule for RDP exactly as per the article but also not connecting. I can see in the firewall logs the DNAT rule being hit but nothing is getting to the Web Server as verified using packet capture. I have spun up VM in the Hub with a default route to the Firewall and Network rules to allow RDP and HTTPs to the Spoke Vnet. From this machine I can browse to the website and RDP to the Web Server with no issues with and have verified traffic is traversing the firewall OK. What am I missing to get access via firewall DNAT working? Any help/advise, what to try next, how to debug appreciated. Cheers Rich
